Roses are for Remembrance
by Random Rockstar
Summary: This takes place right after Willie leaves to go back to his mother's. A certain someone's thoughts on the whole situation. [Warnings inside.]


**Roses are for Remembrance.  
One-Shot [song-fic]**

_(a.n. – Konnichi wa everyone! I'm currently reading this book for my English class, and I'm in love with it. And I just got this random idea for a fic. This takes place after Willie leaves to go back to his mother's. Kinda angsty – I apologize. And yes, it is slash, shounen-ai, yaoi, whatever you refer to it as. I'm sorry. It's just my train of thinking. You don't HAVE to look at it that way I guess . . . and random note: I realize that they're a bit too young for this to be happening . . . so uh, pretend their older?)_

**_Disclaimer: _**Wow. I actually own something. I don't own the story, or the characters in it, they belong to the author, but I do own the song. I wrote it for a song contest. ^_^

**Key: **Anything written like _this_ is thoughts, _//this// is song lyrics, anything typed like **this** is Zach's letter to Willie, and anything typed regularly, is well – regular. ^_^ _

_//Every heart knows the pain of love,_

_Some have double the pain.//_

            Zach was shocked. Tom Oakley had just informed him, Carrie, Ginnie, and George that Willie had to go back home because his mother was sick.

            George, Carrie, and Ginnie were all looking a little distraught, telling Tom that they were sorry, and trying to be cheerful about the subject. Zach was just staring into space, confused about everything.

            _'Did he really have to go? Just when things were getting to be fun? He was acting a lot different now then he was when he first came here. If you ask me, it's an improvement.'  Zach thought to himself, not looking at anyone. _

            Ginnie looked over at Zach. She knew that he was the closest one to Willie, and it must be hard on him.

_//Roses are for remembrance,  
So I'll keep one for you while I try to capture our memories in a picture frame.//_

            After everyone had said their heartfelt good-byes to one another, they each went on their way. Zach didn't know exactly where to go, but he didn't feel like going back to his home here in Little Weirwold. 

            As he was walking down the road by Mr. Tom's, he noticed the church in the back. He knew that Willie had always gone there, to draw, or just to go to church. Zach wasn't a religious person for Willie's faith, but still . . . maybe it'd help him in some way.

            Walking up to the rafters where he had first discovered Willie's amazing drawing talent one rainy day, he sat down and stared out a window. 

            _'Why? . . .'  Was the only thought that ran through Zach's head during this time. He was so confused; so lost as to why things had to turn down just as things were going good. Enough stuff was happening, with the war and all._

            He had never even got to tell Willie how he felt . . . 

_//Holding you in my arms   
Was like having heaven at my fingertips.  
Brushing my lips against yours  
Was like floating on cloud nine.//_

            When Zach was in the confinement of his room, he went through his desk and took out a picture that Willie had drawn for him.

            It was all of Weirwold, an eagle's eye view of most of the small, country town. In the middle, you could make out two boys sitting underneath a tree. Zach didn't have to ask to figure out who they were.

            He didn't know how he was going to keep up his usual cheerful demeanor for everyone at school. It was sad to see Willie go, especially with so many unsaid things. Putting the said object down, he flopped down on his bed, staring up at the cracks in the ceiling, hoping that everything was just a dream, and that he'd wake up tomorrow, and everything would have just been a dream. 

_//I am begging you to stay,  
My days are bleak, I have no sunshine ray.   
If you stay with me tonight,  
I'll let you go tomorrow without a fight-  
Only a few words and a teardrop in my eye.//_

            School was hell. Usually Zach liked school for the most part, especially English. But today school just didn't seem to have a thrill for him. He kept on letting his eyes wander over to where Willie used to sit, even though he had told himself not to think about it.

            After school, he kept on wondering why he would care so much. Sure, he was Willie's best friend, and Willie was his, but should he really be taking it this hard? Maybe what Zach had been thinking about before he left was right . . . 

            Sitting up in a tree, Zach had been waiting for Willie to return for a couple of days now. He kept on telling himself that Willie would be walking down the dirt road any minute now. 

_//_ _I realize I can't delay the inevitable;  
Only watch you walk away from me.  
My cheeks aren't just wet from the rain;  
My eyes are blurry and my soul can't see.//_

            He had come to the final conviction that something was true. Despite what he had told himself that it was nothing more than complete and utter friendship, Zach loved Willie. He wasn't so sure if it was normal, but he knew that he did. He didn't care what anyone would say. Then again, he might not have the opportunity to tell Willie now . . . he shouldn't have denied his feelings at first and told him. Maybe then they would have had something for at least a little while. That would be better than nothing, right? 

            Zach was on his way down to Mr. Oakley's house to ask him for Willie's mom's address. He knocked on the door hesitantly, wondering how Tom was taking all of this. 

            Tom opened the door, and Sam came bounding up to greet Zach, having missed his presence the last couple of days. Tom scooped the over-excited dog into his arms, to give Zach a chance to breathe.

            "What d'ya want?" Tom asked gruffly, scowling down at Zach.

            "I say, I was just wondering if I might have Will's address back in London." Zach replied, noticing that Tom was hiding his sorrow behind is old, gruff manner. 

            After a few minutes of Tom looking around in the living room, and putting some coke on the stove every now and then, he came up with the envelope that Ms. Beech had sent to Tom to tell him to send Willie back. He copied down the return address on a separate piece of paper and handed it to Zach.

            "Ta." Zach said something softly; a very rare occurrence, and then turned around and went back to his temporary home. 

_//_ _They say that at the touch of love everyone becomes a poet,  
So where's my rhyme now?  
Don't worry about me - only my heart is broken.  
I'll get over you; someway, somehow.//_

            Sitting down at his desk in his room upstairs, Zach scrunched up his face in concentration, picked up his pencil, and slowly began writing. It was hard to capture feelings in such a simple letter.

**Dear Will,**

**            Hello! It's your old friend, Zach. I hope that you haven't forgotten me just yet. It hasn't been too long. I came up with the wizard idea of sending you a letter, and I hope that you send me one back. I've enclosed my address inside. Everyone here misses you, Ginnie, Carrie, and everyone else. I do wish that you were still here . . . **

_//_ _I am having a hard time watching you leave,  
I'm wondering if this is all fate as in store for us.   
I don't want to end our book; there must be more.  
But there's nothing more I can do about it than believe and trust.//_

**I do wish, also, that I could have said good-bye to you, so I guess this is my informal way of doing so. I still have the picture that you drew me a while back; it's been kept safe in my desk. Now that your reading and writing is better, I do hope that you send me something back. If you don't have time, it's okay. School sure has been boring without you, or maybe it's because everyone still is dreary because they all miss you; but it'd still be boring all the same – because you won't be there.**

_//My broken heart sings out to you;  
As my boat is about to sink.  
The realization arrives when you look away,  
You've delivered the final blow on my love link;  
It's broken.//_

**Well, I don't have a whole lot else to say . . . just that I wish you were still here in Weirwold, we could've done some fun things. Not to worry though, when the war is all over, I'll come and visit you. We can do fun things then like we do here. I think this is all I have to say now, if I think of anything else I'll send you another letter. Good-bye for now. Try not to forget me. **

**--Zach**

_//_ _I have nowhere to turn,  
I don't know where to go.  
I need your light to guide me,  
I'm having a hard time seeing through the darkness though.//_

            After Zach had mailed the letter, he went back to the tree that he was sitting in before. Memories of him and Willie and all of the fun stuff that they had done flashed through his head. Will – the quiet boy with the golden hair. He would never forget him. He sure hoped that Willie would write back soon, he really missed him. 

            A lone golden leaf fell off a tree. Zach caught it in his hand and stared at it for a little while. "I love you, William Beech." He whispered wistfully, letting the yellow-tinted leaf be carried off by the wind. 

_//_ _Are you sure you want to leave me?  
Do you really want to clear the score?  
If your decision is made...  
I have no other choice but to let you close the door.//_

_(a.n. - ^_^;; Sorry if anyone here is anti-slash. I'm sorry. I couldn't help but writing it. And I know that everything's not the same as it is in the book; I couldn't help but change a couple of things. Well, please read and review it. I hope that SOMEONE still comes to this board. Later for now.) _


End file.
